Ice Cream in Winter

"God I'm so bored I think I might have to slit my wrists.

Donna picked up a knife from the work surface tidy and pretended to drag it across the inside of her wrists.

"You don't want to go doing it like that, you'll never bleed to death. Better to do it lengthways so you open all the veins up

"You're right. Can't even kill myself properly today.

There didn't seem much point in trying to kill yourself as a slow death from boredom seemed imminent. Ice cream parlours tend to do a slow trade in the winter anyway, but especially so on days when its pissing down with the weather coming right off the sea too, wind slamming the rain into the plate glass windows so you could hardly see past the road. We'd had to take the giant ice cream cone in, as it was looking like it might be trying for a break for freedom at any moment. Since two we had only had three customers. Even most of our afternoon regulars hadn't showed up, and the few that had had not looked entirely convinced that it had been worth it. We had even cleaned the shelves under the dishwashing unit.

Donna put the knife back in the tidy.

"Do you think they'll let us off early? she asked.

"Maybe. I think Teresa said it'd depend on how it was when she finished upstairs, but I can't see it getting any busier¦Do you think Atlantis will be closed tonight?

We both walked down the serving aisle towards the front window and peered out, trying to make out the club on the end of the pier. Normally it was clearly visible but the weather was so bad we could hardly see the amusement arcade half way down. Grey sky, rain and angry sea mixed together, as the waves reared up and smashed into the pier supports.

"By the look of that weather it seems likely, especially if these winds don't die down. Depends when high tide is too. We were standing by the ice cream freezer and I looked into the pastel patchwork. "We're pretty low on the coffee, do you know if Tony's making up more?

"I don't know, maybe he's gonna wait til trade picks up again. Not much point making it up if its just gonna sit there.

"True. I'm wearing jeans out tonight, that's for sure.

"Which ones? I was thinking of wearing my Chilli Peppers with that top I got on Wednesday, the black and blue sparkly one.'

"Cool. So you're defiantly going to appear tonight then, and not disappear like you did on Thursday?

"I didn't disappear.

"Yeah, well you didn't make it out. Was it that guy again?

"Well, yeah. Donna dimples and giggles.

"You so have to tell me who he is.

"If I told you I'd have to kill you. She looks serious for a second and then laughs again, picking up the end of her ponytail and twisting it around her fingers.

"Right, so what - you're dating the head of MI5?

"No, its just, well, he's a bit older than me and I know there'll be lots of gossip¦Oh, it's all a bit complicated at the moment.

"Don, you're not going out with one of our teachers are you? I was reminded of the scandal at the college a few years back when it was discovered one of the maths teachers had been doing a lot more than seeing two of his students.

"Urgh, Jesus, no!¦Do you really think I'd do Martin? Martin was our overweight, pasty History teacher. I repressed a shudder.

"Give me some credit.

"He's not a teacher, but that's all I'm telling you. She started twining the end of her ponytail around her fingers again.

"I'll drag it out of you later then when you're ratted. Fancy a coffee?

"Umm, yeah, cappuccino please. Even with the heating on its freezing in here.

I filled a coffee carrier with grounds and clicked it into the machine. Over the percolations of the coffee machine and then the hissing of the steaming milk conversation was impossible. After they were done, we both poured chocolate powder on top of our drinks, and then set about skimming the foam off with teaspoons.

Teresa came down from the flat when I was just licking the last of the foam from my spoon.

"Hey girls, I've been listening to the weather report and apparently its only going to get worse, so we may as well close up now. Have we had anyone in since black coffee guy an hour ago? I found Teresa more relaxed and easier to work with than her husband, apart from when they were arguing. Then the least thing would make her snap your head off.

We shook our heads. Teresa walked down to the door and flipped the sign over to 'Closed'.

"How much worse is it going to get?

"Quite a bit, they said on the news, with gale force winds coming off the channel. When Tony's finished with the accounts he's going to come and put some sandbags down, the sea could come over the prom tonight.

"Blimey, so I guess Atlantis isn't likely to open tonight then.

"If you finish your coffees I'll give you a lift home, its far too wet to walk.

"Thanks, I sipped my coffee. "If it's going to be as bad as you say it is then I might not even make it out tonight.

"Well if it's like this tomorrow then we might not bother opening at all, I don't think we've taken a hundred pounds today. Where were you thinking of going out then?

"Just a few of the pubs in town. Kieran wanted to go out for a meal, but he doesn't get paid until next Friday.

"Where were you thinking of going? There's that new Chinese in the High Street, me and Tony have been thinking of trying it. We might have to get one of you to babysit for us.

"Maybe, or there's that nice Greek restaurant, isn't there, down by the bowling green.

"That's good, Donna said, looking up from her coffee.

"Really? When did you go? I knew she hadn't been with us girls, and her ex was a skanky bugger, not likely to take her somewhere nice like that.

"Oh, a while ago.

"No, come on, you'd've told me if someone had taken you there, and you never have. Its that new guy you're seeing, isn't?

"A new man, you've kept that quiet, said Teresa. She was scraping the coffee draw out into the bin: thud, thud, thud.

"Oh, its nothing really. I was quite surprised to see Donna blushing furiously.

"Really? That place is well nice. Me and Kieran were looking at the prices yesterday, almost a tenner for moussaka.

"Yes, but its worth it, its delicious.

"I might have to persuade Kieran to go then, after pay day. What did you have apart from the moussaka?

"Oh, I didn't have the moussaka, he did. I had the stuffed vine leaves. Donna picked up our empty glasses and puts them in the dishwasher tray.

Teresa had finished cleaning out the coffee draw, and slid it back in with a definite, woody thump. I caught a sudden look, a tightness, about her eyes and mouth. She stared past me to where Donna was sliding the tray into the dishwasher.

Earlier, when Don was on her break, we had been talking about how Tony had started playing badminton again with one of his old school friends. She said he had played on Thursday, and they had had a bit of a quarrel when he got home because she wanted to start an evening course at Easter in beginners French but it was on a Thursday and they couldn't get a babysitter every week, it was her mum's bingo night, so she had asked him if he was going to be playing badminton every Thursday and he went mental.

Teresa said he'd only taken it up again in the last couple of weeks. Moussaka was his favourite meal, he used to badger Teresa to make it for him.

"Donna, called Teresa. She turned around. "Tell me, is the moussaka as good as the one I make, do you think?

"Oh, well I only had a tiny bit to try. She was standing resting against the dishwasher. I knew the heat from the metal must have been burning through her polo shirt into her shoulder blades. She twined her ponytail tightly around her fingers. "Yours is best, the way you cook the aubergine. How do you do it?

Teresa smiles. "That's my little secret. Heather, what's left now?

"Only the mopping and the dishwasher now.

"Well, never mind that. I'll do it when I get back, if both of you girls are ready to go now.

Donna chose to sit in the back of the car, and stared out of the window at the pelting rain. The radio wasn't coming through properly, and we drove in silence. Teresa was very still. I lived much nearer to town than Donna, and so I got out first. Teresa pulled away sharply from the curb, and the last glimpse I had of them was of Donna frowning slightly and Teresa looking at her in the rear view mirror.